Dog That Didn't Bark

Dog That Didn't Bark

Article excerpt

Gordon Browns tenth Budget gave us an insight into the priorities of the government should the current chancellor become prime minister. What would be Browns equivalent to 'Education, Education, Education?

Well, strangely enough, it turns out that 'the most important investment in our economy and in our future... will be in the education of our children and young people.

So the Iron Chancellor promised that spending on state school pupils will be brought into line with that of private schools. As a first stage he offered £34bn of'new investment' over five years for capital spending in schools.

And that wasn't all. Three thousand new science teachers will be recruited and further education courses will be free for everyone up to the age of 25.

Of course, if more and more of the governments resources are directed educations way, then there will be less available for other departments.

Brown made no secret of this in his speech. Pre-empting next year s Comprehensive Spending Review and causing uproar across Whitehall, he admitted that four departments, including Work and Pensions, would face 5% budget cuts. …